Share this on social media

Only half of industry associations positive to energy transition - study

(eceee news, 11 Oct 2021) As the proposed revision of the Energy Efficiency Directive (EED) sets out a more ambitious binding annual target for reducing energy use in the EU, Member states progress remains too slow, according to a survey conducted by the Energy Efficiency Watch 4 project.

In some Member States, the understanding of positive economic, environmental and social impacts of energy efficiency, has already allowed energy efficiency policies to become a force in its own right, more or less independent of polititical trends. However, the energy transition is still questioned in many countries and stakeholder groups.

In order to understand the opposition to the energy transition and to find ways forward, the EU-funded Energy Efficiency Watch 4 project (EEW4), is therefore focusing on the analysis and development of positive narratives for energy efficiency and the energy transition.

In a recent study and survey covering 1270 EU-based energy efficiency experts, the project investigated the perceptions of the links between energy efficiency and important and frequently debated societal issues, such as loss and creation of jobs, competitiveness and the impact on living costs. Experts were asked to assess attitudes and policies in their own country. The survey was complemented by in-depth interviews of key stakeholders in all EU countries.

In overall terms, there is a significant spread within the EU. In Portugal, Sweden and Spain, 64–65% of respondents believe that their countries are positive to energy efficiency. In contrast, in the Netherlands, 57% of experts see their country as being negative to energy efficiency. As for Germany 56% of respondents say attitudes are negative. For Belgium and Ireland, the negative share is 50%.

Link between energy efficiency and important issues

The study also looks at the perception of how energy efficiency is linked to the most important issues in the public debate: jobs are ranked as the most important issue, followed by competitiveness and investments, housing and living costs. 

In terms of loss and creation of jobs, the attitudes to energy efficiency vary. On an EU average, 72% of experts believe that energy efficiency is positively discussed.

In Denmark, France and Greece the impact of energy efficiency with regards to jobs is seen as positive by a majority of respondents, while it is seen as being discussed negatively in Estonia, Germany and Poland.

The link to competitiveness is debated most positively in Denmark, Portugal and Finland and most negatively debated in Germany, the Netherlands and Czech Republic. On an EU average, the topic is mostly positively discussed (65 %), according to the study.

As for modernisation and investments, energy efficiency is seen as positively discussed by 44% of respondents while 56% believe it is negatively discussed.

Influental actors and their attitudes

According to the surveyed experts, national industry associations have by far the strongest political influence across EU Member states, followed by trade unions and chambers of commerce.  

The position on the energy transition held by industry associations, varies across the EU.  On an EU average, 47 % are positive and 40 % opposed to the energy transition.

Trade unions are seen as very influtential in Malta and Sweden (where 89% of the respondents see them as “very influtential), whereas they are believed to have the least influence in Hungary, Estonia and Croatia.

As for their attitudes to the energy transition, trade unions have the most positive view of the energy transition in Denmark, Finland and Sweden and the most negative attitude in Germany, Austria and Poland.

Among Chambers of commerce, 52 % are positive to the energy efficiency, and 20 % have a negative attitude.

The survey was issued in May 2021.

View the study here